The file photo shows Yves Daccord, the director general of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says 23 of its staff members have left the relief organization over the past three years due to sexual misconduct.

"Since 2015 we have identified 21 staff members who were either dismissed for paying for sexual services or resigned during an internal enquiry. Another two staff members suspected of sexual misconduct did not have their contracts renewed," ICRC Director General Yves Daccord said in a statement on Friday.

"I am deeply saddened to report these numbers," he added, noting the ICRC was taking action to ensure all sexual abuse cases were reported and handled properly.

The statement noted that the Red Cross, with over 17,000 staff across the world, prohibited its employees from paying for sexual services.

There have recently been numerous reports of alleged sexual misconduct in different relief organizations.

British charity Oxfam has been battling accusations about involvement of its staff in sexual misconduct in Haiti and South Sudan. The scandals have put Oxfam’s government funding at risk and threatened its global reputation.

The United Nations peacekeeping missions, agencies, funds, programs and partners have also been embroiled in allegations of sexual abuse in different parts of the world.

In January, the British daily The Guardian released a report about widespread sexual harassment in UN agencies and a culture of impunity for the perpetrators at UN offices around the world.